Like most folks I weigh myself down with a bunch of New Year's resolutions each year that never get accomplished. Part of the problem, I think, is we set the bar too high for ourselves and by doing so we almost guarantee defeat. Our intentions are admirable but in our enthusiasm we tend to bite off a little more than we can chew and somewhere along the way, like Jan. 2, we realize the futility of it all and give up in despair. In an effort to actually accomplish something in 2015 I've decided to tone it down to just a few simple resolutions, such as:1. Stop picking my nose in public. Now, I'm not quite ready to give this up entirely but I'll do my best to spare the rest of you the visual. Of course, if I lived in China this wouldn't be a concern. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article by a correspondent living there she has recently concluded that by not picking her nose in public - unlike many others - she may be preventing her assimilation into that society. She claims that she'll give it the old college try.2. Get myself the newest camera accessory: the selfie-stick. On paper this seems like one of the most innovative devices to come along as selfies have become ubiquitous and this item can't help but promote that narcissistic trend. Whether or not I'll ever use the selfie-stick is another matter as I don't need another reason to look like a dork in public. See number 1 above.3. Ask anyone I see that is still using a BlackBerry, "Why?"4. Try at every turn to use the following new words destined to be popular in 2015 according to Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary: a) Techno-igno. That's so me that I've even stopped shutting my computer down at night so I'm not challenged by Windows OS each day. b) Lexpionage. The sleuthing of new words or phrases. I promise to do my best this year continuing to annoy those around me with the use of new words. c) Zobzib. An amiable blunderer (usually old). That's me on both counts.

So there you have my 2015 resolutions. Good luck with yours and Happy New Year.

Author

Like most writers, I enjoy sharing my opinions, thoughts and tidbits of interesting information that I discover. Here I opine on ideas and topics that, by turn, either exasperate or intrigue me, strike my fancy or my funny-bone or are things I thought you'd like to know. I welcome your comments and replies.